CHUKWUDINMA, my first solo exhibition in the US, will open with a reception on Thursday, February 27, at AMY KASLOW gallery, 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland! I am grateful to the gallery for the opportunity to show till April 13 in their beautiful space.
The exhibition gets its title from my middle Igbo name, which I officially announced as my preferred name henceforth. This was in a post on November 20, 2024, on my Instagram page @anthonynsofor. At this point in my life, I may be ambitious to state that half my life has been lived. A recent Google search said that the life expectancy of a male in Nigeria is 60 years. So much so soon.
The exhibition summarizes my 4 years in America, telling all the stories important to my living conditions. The relevant conversations of migration, race, identity, and surmounting stereotypes come across as pictorial footnotes. It is an important time to write a book now.
The gallery has chosen a tight aspect of my work to introduce to the American audience. But I misspoke- to the rest of the world! It is interesting to ponder what went through the minds of the curator, Amy, and her assistant, Jordan, when they chose these pieces. Artists don't choose their audience, neither can they predict how their works will be read or where the works will sit in others' spaces. I do not claim to speak to a particular age bracket or certain types of people. That is too much to put on my mind. I prefer to share and try to connect with all humanity. My works will find their audience- hearts, consciences, homes, and other places where people gather. It is hoped that the works will generate introspection, inspire dreams, and catch the light on new pathways for navigating the landscape of the human condition. This exhibition shows my optimism and gratitude for all the years and things I lived through. Indeed, Chukwudinma! God is good, or 'God is goodness', as a spiritual director explained in a quiet retreat back in Lagos. A sense of gratitude keeps one moving forward through all the days. The constancy of goodness is seen in great health, and the love of friends and family; in reinventing oneself in new spaces, in being given a chance to show my best. I am a better person. My homeland will feel the impact of the years lived away. Observing new cultures, and sharing my own culture is the intent in my work. The 2-dimensional canvas becomes a performative space for dancing brushstrokes, and my guiding, whirling hands (I use both hands, my fingers, and other things while painting)
I still glimpse a distant horizon to overcome. This is more a feeling connected to my restless spirit. For my neighbors, the sun is long gone in the sky. As I finish this essay, the Torpedo Factory is closed to the public. It is 6:23 pm, and the shining lights of the National Harbor pierce the velvet sky and float on the shimmering Potomac River. I still dream of the blue lake of my infancy...
As a voyager, the way of the celestial bodies changes from one location to another. Time expands or contracts, depending on what lenses one uses to glimpse into things. I already know that I will never die, that is- in my artworks. Everyone should live with a sense of immortality. Our work will outlive each of us.
The exhibition CHUKWU.DI.MMA will stay open till April 13, 2025. See you there.
Click on https://amykaslowgallery.com/show/amy-kaslow-gallery-chukwudinma to RSVP and view the works in the exhibition.
Our work will outlive each if us... this is profound- the good and the bad works. Opeoluwa Sangosanya